There is Bulldog basketball tonight in Athens: the Dogs, still winless after three games in the Southeastern Conference, will take on the Auburn Tigers. Tipoff is set for 7 o’clock in UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum.

From Mike Mobley, UGA Sports Communications…

The Starting Five

• Georgia is the only Division I MBB team – of the 345 that have played games this season – with six players currently sporting double-figure scoring averages.

• Toumani Camara and Sahvir Wheeler enter the week tied for the SEC lead with four double-doubles. Camara’s are point-board. Wheeler’s are point-assist.

• Sahvir Wheeler’s four point-assist double-doubles in the first nine games equaled the second-best single-season total by any SEC player in the 2000s.

• Sahvir Wheeler’s three double-digit assist outings in the first three games of the season were as many as any SEC player posted in all of 2019-20.

• Seven different Bulldogs have scored in double figures this season, combining to produce 41 double-digit performances in just 10 games.

The Opening Tip

The Georgia Bulldogs – America’s most balanced offensive Division I basketball team – return to action on Wednesday evening when they host Auburn at Stegeman Coliseum. The Bulldogs enter this week as the only D-I men’s hoops program with six players sporting double-figure scoring averages. Through Sunday, 345 men’s basketball teams had played games during the 2020-21 season.

The Bulldogs are 7-3 overall. Georgia began the 2020-21 campaign with a 7-0 start that was the program’s best beginning in 38 years...since Georgia’s 1982-83 Final Four season.

Keeping An Eye On . . . Entering Tonight’s Game:

Justin Kier is…

• 5 assists from 250 for his career

• 12 rebounds from 600 for his career

Andrew Garcia is...

• 110 points from 1,000 for his career

• 37 rebounds for 500 for his career

Series History With Auburn

Following last season’s double-digit upset over Auburn before a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum, Georgia possesses a 62-27 advantage in all-time meetings with the Tigers in Athens. AU owns a slim 96-95 lead in overall series between the interstate rivals on the hardwood.

In last season’s matchup on Feb. 19, Georgia grabbed the lead late in the first half and led the entire second stanza en route to a 65-55 upset over No. 13/12 Auburn.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good on an Anthony Edwards 3-pointer that put them up 25-23 with 3:55 left in the first half.

Georgia pushed that advantage to double digits at the 14:55 mark of the second half and never allowed Auburn closer than three points the rest of the evening, lastly at 43-40 with 10:12 remaining.

Toumani Camara hit several clutch free throws down the stretch. He entered the contest shooting 56.1 percent from the line on the season but was 10-of-12 against the Tigers.

Scouting The Tigers

Auburn arrives in Athens with a 6-6 overall record and an 0-4 mark in SEC play, most recently dropping a 94-90 home decision to Alabama last Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers opened the season with an overtime victory against Saint Joseph’s before back-to-back setbacks to Gonzaga and UCF. Following a five-game winning streak, Auburn has come up short in each of its first four league outings by an average of 7.3 ppg.

Sharife Cooper played his first game of the season against the Tide and sports a one-outing, team-best average of 26.0 ppg. Jamal Johnson (15.5 ppg), Allen Flanigan (14.5 ppg) and Jaylin Williams (11.0 ppg) also are scoring at a double-digit. Flanigan is Auburn’s top performer on the glass, averaging 6.8 rpg.

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